Coupling for railway-carriages, wagons, &amp;c.



Patented Nov. 26, 19m.

A. w., .1. A. & H. N. BRAY. COUPLING FOB RAILWAY CARRIAGES, WAGDNS,811:.

(Application filed. July 21, 1900.)

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No. 687,554. Patented Nov. 26-, I90l;

A.w., J. A. a; H. N. SHAY.- CDUPLING FOR RAILWAY GARRIAGES, WAGUNS, 8L6.

(Application filed July 21, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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No. 687,554. Patented Nov.26, 1901. A. w., J. A. & u. N. BHAY.

COUPLING FOR RAILWAY CARBIAGES, WAGONS, 8w. Application filed. July 21,1900.) V (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shag} 3.

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ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR W. BRAY, JOSEPH A. BRAY, AND HORATIO NELSON BRAY, OFASHTON-UNDER-LYNE, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO THOMAS COOK, OFASHTON-UNDER-LYNE, ENGLAND.

COUPLING FOR RAILWAY-CARRIAGES, WAGONS, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,554, dated November26, 1901.

Application filed July 21, 1900.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ARTHUR WELLESLEY BRAY, JOSEPH ALFRED BRAY, andHoRATIo NELSON BRAY, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland,residing at Welbeck street, Ashton-under-Lyne, in the county ofLancaster, England, have invented new and useful Improved Couplings forRailway-Oarriages, Wagons, and Like Vehicles, of which the following isa specification thereof.

This invention relates to improved means for coupling railway-carriages,wagons, and like vehicles, with the object of enabling said vehiclestobe automatically coupled when run together and to be uncoupled from theside of the frame in order, to avoid the necessity for those who may beengaged in making up a train or shunting or at other times to pass inbetween the buffers or the ends of the vehicles, or if not required tobe coupled to render the coupling mechanism inoperative.

In the accompanying three sheets of drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of the.end portions of two Wagons in proximity to each other to which ourinvention is shown applied. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same.Fig. 3 is an end view of one of the aforesaid wagons. In these views thedraw bar is arranged to pass through the cross-bar and is fitted with acoil of india-rubber spring in the ordinary manner. Fig. 4 is a planrepresenting the ends of two vehicles coupled. In this viewspring-bufiers with laminated buifing-springs are shown. Fig. 5 is afront view, Fig. 6 a side View, and Fig. 7 a longitudinal section, ofthe socket portion of our improved draw-gear. Fig. 8 is a plan, Fig. 9an end view, and Fig. 10 is a side elevation showing the ballenlargement in section, of the link portion of said gear.

In the views similar letters refer to similar parts.

For the purposes of this invention we connect a short transverse bar orsaddle-piece c to the draw-bar d, preferably between the head-stock aand the cross-bar b, forming a part of the underframe of a wagon if thewagon is constructed with dead-buffers, as shown at Figs. 1, 2, and 3,or connect said Serial No. 24,404. (No model.)

saddle-piece to a laminated buffing-spring, as e, if spring-buffers areemployed, as shown in Fig. 4. We attach to each end of the aforesaidshort transverse bar or saddle-piece c a longitudinal bar or bars. asf,which we pass through the head-stock, and fit thereto at each side ofthe center line of the vehicle a trumpet-shaped socket g and a draw-linkj, respectively. Said socket and draw-link are placed in reversepositions at each end of the vehicle, so that when two vehicles meet thelink j of one vehicle comes opposite the socketg of the other. Thedraw-linkj has a short rodj projecting at the inner end, on which aswell or ball enlargement j is formed, with a hole through the ball ofgreater width at the top and bottom than at the center, as shown in Fig.10, whichis'fitted in a bracket placed on the outside of the head-stocka and connected with the aforesaid saddle-piece c. Said bracket isformed with jaws is, between which the ball j is placed and retainedtherein by a pin, so that a form of universal joint is obtained by whichthe free end of the link is enabled to be diverted from its ordinaryhorizontal position. .The inner end of the short rod jiis retained in acoil or like spring, as Z, that is fitted in the base of the bracket k,by which the link is retained in a position at right angles with thehead-stock; but if diverted therefrom by not meeting the trumpetshapedsocket on the adjacent vehicle fairly in the. center or from otherimpediment it is placed out of the rectangular position. Said link willwhen the diverging force is removed be caused by said spring to returnto the rec tangular position.

The trumpet-shaped socket g, to which ref erence has hereinbefore beenmade and shown drawn to an enlarged scale in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, has ahorizontal recess g formed in its base for the reception of thedraw-linkj, and vertical grooves g and 9 respectively, in thetop andbottom of said recess, with a pin m, depending from the top groove 9 soarranged that the lower or free end of said pin can be pushed back intothe socket by the link j when the link enters the socket and fall withinthe link 7', but cannot be drawn forward as the lower end of thedepending pin engages with the shoe end q of the pin q, that issuspended in the bottom groove 9 and which can only be pushed inward,the part q resting against a shoulder 9 formed in the groove g when saidpin is in a vertical position. The lower end of the pin q projects belowthe socket, and the shoe end q of the pin may be placed out of contactwith the pin m by the lever 19 pushing forward the lower end of the pinq, as shown in dotted lines, so that the pin 172 may hang freely and bemoved either inward or outward without retaining the draw-link.

When a vehicle with ourinvention applied is propelled and meets anothervehicle fitted with alike appliance, the link j on one vehicle willenter the socket g on the adjacent vehicle and push back the bottom endof the upper suspended pin m, which will then fall into and retain thelinkj within the socket g, as shown in Fig. 4. lVhen the vehicles arerequired to be uncoupled, the cross rod or bar p is turned by thehandlep or an equivalent, which causes the leverp, fitted on thecross-rod p, to push forward the tail q of the pin q and set free thelower end of the pin m, enabling the link j to be withdrawn. \Vhen shunting or at times when it is required to run the wagons together withoutbeing coupled, the pin q is retained at an angle in the position shownby dotted lines on the drawings by the lever p being kept in therequired position by a spring acting on said lever or other equivalent.

When vehicles having our improved couplings applied are required to runin connection with vehicles that are not so fitted, a draw-hook andcoupling of the ordinary pattern may be additionally fitted to thevehicle in the usual manner.

\Ve claim as our invention 1. In a coupling for railway carriages,wagons and like Vehicles, ahead-stock and a bracket on the head-stock,in combination with a link having a ball enlargement by which itissecured in the bracket and at which point it is adapted to beuniversally rotated, and a coiled spring secured to the bracket and tothe link near the ball enlargement to keep the link in a normallyhorizontal position and at right angles to the head-stock, and

a socket to receive the link.

2. In a coupling for railway carriages, wagons and the like, ahead-stock and a bracket on the head-stock, in combination with a linkhaving a ball enlargement near one end, by which it is secured to thebracket and at which point it is adapted to be universally rotated, anda projection on the link on that side of the ball enlargement toward thehead-stock, a coiled spring secured to the bracket and to the saidprojection to keep the link normally in a horizontal position at rightangles to the head-stock, and a socket to receive the link.

3. A coupling for railway-cars having a trumpet-shaped socket, anopening in the bottom thereof, a pin pivoted to the top of the socket, asecond pin pivoted to the bottom and inside of the socket and having twoprojections, an upper one adapted to limit the forward movement of thefirst-named pin and a lower projection extending through the opening inthe bottom of the socket, adapted to act as a weight to insure avertical position of the pin, both said pins being adapted to operate tocouple by their own weight alone, in combination with a rod having apart 19 normally out of contact with, but adapted to be operated to abutupon said lower projection to throw it out of said vertical position, asand for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR WV. BRAY. JOSEPH A. BRAY. HORATIO NELSON BRAY.

\Vitnesses:

GEORGE DAVIES, JNo. HUGHES.

